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Legends
Legends and stories from ToW History The Ballad of the Stone Drake Listen my son and I'll tell you a tale, of the drake made of stone out of Idavale. He came in the night, the moon slipped away. To a blood red sky on that longest of days. As grey as the night, skin tougher than stone. That most fearsome thing we have ever known. The horse torn asunder, the men petrified, Their bronze helms like rock and 'twas there they died. Then came the lords with their mithryl and gold. The mightiest men so the stories told. They fought through the night, sword, tooth, claw and rabble, Every item of copper turned to pebble. With mornings first light, the lords thought they knew, That with the next hit the monster was though. Up stepped a page with a ruk in his hand, That silver coin's gleam was best in the land. Gold pendants and crests shown with such a gleam. They burned with a fire, or so it did seam. In all of the ruckus the drake slipped away, East in the hills that are Rocky, to this day. Beware of roaming Idavale easterly, For you may end up in Rocky's belly. Lament for the Centar The Centar you see is a proud half man. So swift of a hoof, he's the king of his span. Black as a berry, his coat shines so bright. His eyes are like coals that burn with firelight. Tight ripling musles, with lance in his hand very few can venture through his precious land. So great is the pride the centar he takes Blind fury fills his heart, leaves death in his wake. But death comes to the vain, so the proverbs say. And that the proud has seen his last day. Elderly centar so few will you see. The fate of thoer race, oh what will it be. Just think of the centar so proud and so vain, he should have been humble but now he is slain. History Creation, the Thular Perspective As Told by Vakr and Thrull In the time before the world was made chaos ruled the great Void, blind and unknowing of its own existence. But chaos was not alone, for also within the Void there turned Orm, the knowing circle, unbroken and wise to all that was. Yet all that was was Orm, the Void, and Chaos. As Chaos expanded into the darkness, forever reaching into the nothingness, Orm's influence began to wane and he knew he must also grow, for it is upon him to maintain balance in all things. So it was that Orm imagined himself a great maw to feed upon all that existed within the Void. Yet Orm himself was all that existed. Chaos had no material form. Orm was fire, and earth, and water, and life. Orm was light, and time itself. The circle of his form began to feed upon itself and thuswise did Orm become the Great Wyrm that swallows itself, leading all things back to their beginning, if a beginning there ever was. Though Orm consumed only himself, he grew. It was Chaos, unknowing and unlawful, which had unwittingly permitted something to come from nothing. For when chaos reigns and nothing makes sense, the nonsensical restores the balance by breaking the basic laws of existence. This is magic. First from the body of Orm came Od, Vil, and Ve, the three that were one. Yet from Chaos emerged the imbalancing force of Desire. This chaotic force infected all that Orm created and tore the three assunder so that at last they began to strive against one another. Ever did Chaos exert its mighty influence upon Orm's growth and other beings sprang unsommoned from the flesh of the Great Wyrm as well. As he formed from his breath the benevolent Ciel-dur, who often aided the Three in their doings, so also from the peaks of his spine emerged the great Jotuns, who did battle with the Three. Though mostly pure of intention, self-righteous too were the Ciel-dur, and some say they saw their likeness most closely in Od and came to his aid. It was Od alone who emerged from the epic struggle of The Three. With the divine corpses of his brother Vil and his sister Ve, Od created Urd. The two were again one, and Urd, being conflicted and restless in nature, began in secret to fashion offspring of his own. These he kept hidden deep within his body and strange creatures they were. Duergar and Trolls. Kobolds and Goblins. All prospered in the darker regions of Urd's form, but the imbalancing nature of their very existence spawned chaotic forces of magic deep within him. Urd suffered greatly during this time. Mountains arose from his flesh as molten lava sprung forth from his veins. His skin cracked and brackish waters seeped forth until it filled his deep and grievous wounds. And at the last the spirits of air left his lungs and hung above him in the dark sky, often weeping upon his still face. Yet somewhere deep within his body the heart of Urd still beats. It was then that Od, so grieved by his sibling-child's demise, bid the Ciel-dur go unto him, and this they did. As Od sat burning in the Void, ever-watching, many of the Ciel-dur descended upon Urd and made of his body their home. There they discovered the magic welling forth from his flesh and with it they began to quell the fires and still the raging waters. Yet Urd still slumbered. In time, some of Urd's creatures crept from the deep places and moved into hills and dales and dark places where they could remain hidden from Od's sight. When the Ciel-dur discovered them they knew at once the work they must do. Quickly they began to fashion creatures of thier own. Birds, beasts, trees, grasses, and flowering plants were raised beneath Od's approving gaze. But to Od's dismay, the Ciel-dur soon wearied of their task and placed the highest of their creations above all others as wardens in their stead. These were the elves and Od distrusted them. The Ciel-dur had taught them to wield magic, and Od knew they would soon be corrupted by it. But the Ciel-dur were proud, for they too were the direct offspring of Orm, and they refused to unmake their most beloved children. So it came to pass that Od, who loved Urd, and the Ciel-dur, who loved what they had made of him, turned upon each other. Od knew he could not ally himself with Urd's children, for they were his malady. So instead he crafted sturdy men, built to learn and adapt and conquer... and that they did. Despite their magic, their wisdom, and even the aid of the Ciel-dur, the elves were eventually destroyed. After this time many of the Ciel-dur left Urd, but some remained, for these had come to greatly love their creations. Men spread across the face of Urd, splitting into factions. But though Od had given men great intellect and stalwart hearts, he had also given them mortality so that none may become too wise. Angered by this curse most men eventually became godless or raised godlike witch-kings of their own with magic stolen from the elves. Some even turned to the Ciel-dur. Of these, there are those who claim to carry the blood of the last elves in their veins, and few doubt them. These are the Gaeldors, who turned their backs on Od even before the elves were defeated. Yet not all men had forsaken their creator. In the cold north, where the Ciel-dur were weakest, the blood of men flowed most pure. It was here that Od found a bastion of faithful in the days when men were slowly forgetting his name. In this time there were 13 tribes, each with its own ting, or gathering, but once a year a great ting was gathered and in that place they were one people, the Thular. The fairest of these was called Bryg, daughter of Inger. Od soon became fascinated by Bryg, and so enamoured he became that by his devine nature he raised her up into the night sky and she became his wife. By Od Bryg bore Brag, finest of voice and verse, and the twins Tyr and Tor, who constantly slay each other only to rise each morning with the return of their father to his watchful seat in the heavens. Also born was Hel, who crawled into a deep cave at her birth and never comes to the surface. Then there is Him, who watches for the end of time, and Ran who built her place in the sea, and Ur of the mountain folk, and Best who loved the animal creatures of the Ciel-dur and bid some of them to walk and speak like men, and their sister El the hunter who slew Bests favorite lover. Last came Lok who loved Hel, for he was no son of Od's, but that of a crafty Ciel-dur who tricked Bryg unto his bed. Others are spoken of, heroes and gods alike, but these are the chief amongst them. History of the Thular The Gelod is a small region on the world of Ebinoth. The Gelod lies deep inland and it’s southern border is the great river Ingruin. The river Ingruin flows to the west and empties into the ocean. The eastern border of the Gelod is the Ereth Nuen Mountains, home of the Orcs. The Gelod is the home of the Gaeldor. The Thular came to the Gelod from across the ocean. The Thular homeland is the small continent of Thule. The Thular were great ship builders, explorers and conquerors. They sailed south and east from Thule and found the coast of our lands. Further south the sailed until coming to the great river Ingruin. They sailed up the river as far as they could and when the river became too shallow they stopped and founded the settlement of Brygga. Brygga, sitting on the shore of the Ingriun is at the southern border of the Gelod. The Gaeldor had been living in peace for many years when the Thular first stepped foot upon the lands of the Gelod. The Gaeldor were a more primitive culture, in-tune with the natural forces around them. The Thular came with copper and bronze armor and weapons, while the Gaeldor were dressed in furs and leather and carried tools of wood and stone. Hunters] Oilill ap Diancecht:give me a moment. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:First perhaps I'll give you a brief overview of our history Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:have you seen the rough drawing of Ebinoth on the maethor website? GAELDOR Siren:yes i have GAELDOR Cirdanoth:A ship of adventurers, from the islands, where the sun rises.. Hunters Siren:oops, yes Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:Well the map isn't very accurate, the Gelod actually far inland Hunters Siren:oh...ok Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:The Thular sailed here from across the ocean. Thule lies far to the north and west of this continent GAELDOR Oilill ap Diancecht:thule is a rather small continent by comparison. There is a map of it on the maethor site as well GAELDOR Cirdanoth:A storm seperated us from the fleet, and before we knew it, we ended up at the faraway Northern Coastline.. GAELDOR Oilill ap Diancecht:mischan :P GAELDOR Siren:no, he is continuing GAELDOR Cirdanoth:That area was isolated.. Very little resources, and very little animals.. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:The Gelod is a smallish region, like a county, in Ebinoth. The Thular sailed their ships as far east up the river Ingriun until they could go no further Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:there they founded the city of Brygga GAELDOR Cirdanoth:In search of food, and shelter, we went further and further.. Until we arrived at the Eastern edge, of what you call the Southern Gelod. GAELDOR Oilill ap Diancecht:I'm already telling a story :P GAELDOR Cirdanoth:Heh. X3 GAELDOR Cirdanoth:I'm telling the story of the Eastern settlers at the same time. X3 GAELDOR Siren:it's very confusing Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:back then the Gaeldor were very close to nature, we were more of a tribal people, having only fur and leather clothing. GAELDOR Cirdanoth:Poor Siren.. X3 GAELDOR Cirdanoth:Anyhow, we Eastern settlers are pretty new to these lands.. GAELDOR Oilill ap Diancecht:ya, so don't listen to him... GAELDOR Cirdanoth:Our influence relatively small. X3 Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:anyway.... GAELDOR Cirdanoth:But we are a strong people.. And we have sworn to help those whom welcomed us with open arms.. The Gaeldor fulk.. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:The Thular came to the Gelod in search of conquest and riches, originally anyway, but their ships left and they are stuck here now, or something...ask one of them why they are still here :P Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:But way back then we were frightened of them, and for good reason Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:They came with metal armor and metal weapons, strong weapons. They took what they wanted and if we resisted they killed our people. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:It was a fearful time. I Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:In the midst of this fear, some of our stronger warriors asserted themselves as our leaders, and a monarchy of sorts was formed Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:It was an oppressive monarchy. The Gaeldor did whatever they were told out of fear of the Thular and the queen was quite dreadful Hunters Siren:who was the queen...a thular? Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:No, a Gaeldor Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:Our people listened to the strong, did what they were told. They were told to build fortifications, make weapons...We learned of the art of building fortresses and metal work from the Thular Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:the two oldest fortifications in our lands were built then, Alfheim and Arawen Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:Arawen was the seat of the monarchy Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:Back then the mines were highly prized because of our newly discovered metal crafting...so Arawen was built right in front of the mines Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:The queen Sassiangel became a tyrant though Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:and out of fear, the Gaeldor people allowed it Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:Three great lords grew up then, but two were only peasants then, and the third was just a servant of the queen Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:The three great lords were Bragiton, Lone Wolf, and Stahna. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:Eventually, they overthrew the monarchy and pushed back the Thular, forcing a peace treaty, but I'm getting ahead of myself now. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:do you have any questions so far? I hope I'm not going too fastr Hunters Siren:a little fast GAELDOR Cirdanoth:What are the two of you doing anyway..? Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:Just stop me if I lose you, or if you have any questions GAELDOR Oilill ap Diancecht:History of the Gelod, the concise version Hunters Siren:you almost lost me, but not quite Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht::) Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:I will continue then... GAELDOR Cirdanoth:Oh.. The Gaeldor struggles..? >_> Hunters Siren:can you tel me more about the overthrowing of the monarchy? Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:sure Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:Back then everyone had assignments. They were told what to craft, what to build, what weapon to use... Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:Bragiton had a little bit more freedom however, as he was charged with building the South Gate Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:That is the wall that still stands today, it protects the Gaeldor lands from the south and from the Thular Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:Lone Wolf was banished for reasons that I'm not clear on Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:and he went to live with the Thular Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:he wasn't exactlty from this region GAELDOR Cirdanoth:Hmm.. I need someone to make me silver sheets and rivets.. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:He came from an area called Evenstar, which was destroyed. As I understand it he was the only survivor...but anyway, he left here after staying for only awhile. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:Stahna was the royal furrier. He was furrier master and the first one to master the art of crafting cloaks Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:As I stated, everyone was under very strict orders regarding what they were to do, but Stahna and Bragiton had become friends and Stahna crafted him a cloak. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:One of the finest cloaks he had crafted to that point. He gave it as a gift to Bragiton, and this enraged the queen. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:As punishment she ordered no one to assosciate with Stahna, but instead of accepting this punishment, Stahna left our lands. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:He then became an outcast and was refused to be allowed back in. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:Having no where to go he wandered into the forest and the legends say that the Sildur came to his aid Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:What happened exactly isn't known, but somehow he ended up in Brygga and found Lone Wolf, who welcomed him and the Thular allowed them both to stay....for awhile. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:It is said that the two become very close friends during this time, and at some point they must have planned on returning to our lands, but it was Stahna that was the first to make the long trek Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:back then the central area of the Gelod was infested with goblins. It was very dangerous. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:They say that the Great Road that connects Stonebridge with Brygga follows the path that Stahna took when he returned to Gaeldor lands. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:Lord Kelvin was around during that time, you might ask him more about the monarchy, he often talks about the tyrannical queen. He still has a great hatred for her. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:exactly what happened then, I'm not really sure, but Lone Wolf or LW and Stahna returned to our lands. When they returned, they brought with them the knowledge they had gained from the Thular of weapon and armorcraft. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:I'm really unclear on this part, but from what I understand they rallied the Gaeldor and the monarchy fell. The queen was beheaded GAELDOR Cirdanoth:-Cooking 71 hunks of meat at once..- Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:they say her head ended up on display in Brygga, I'm not sure how. They also say it still exists in the lands, it was mummified. But I've never seen it and I don't know where it is. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:Whatever happened then, neither Stahna nor LW wanted to stay in Gaeldor lands, so they left. Together they founded the citadel of Idavale. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:Idavale itself is a fortress surrounded in mystery and legend. Hunters Oilill ap Diancecht:They say it was the largest and mightiest fortress ever constructed in it's time and that it could never be taken. They say it was created as a place to bring peace between the Thular and the Gaeldor....but that never came to pass. Category:History of the House of Oldmanjohn